According to the statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department today (February 18), the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong Population was 7 219 700 at end-2013, representing an increase of 41 800 or 0.6% from 7 177 900 in end-2012 (Table 1).

Obtained by subtracting the number of deaths of 42 500 from the number of births of 57 100, the natural increase of the population from end-2012 to end-2013 amounted to 14 600. Over the same period, there was a net movement (i.e. inflow less outflow) of 27 200 Hong Kong residents.

Births and inflow of One-way Permit Holders (OWPHs) were important constituents of the overall population increase. The number of births from end-2012 to end-2013 was 57 100 and its ratio to the overall population increase was 137%. As for the inflow of OWPHs in the same period, the ratio of the number, at 45 000, to the overall population increase was 108%.

Deaths during the period offset part of the increase. The ratio of the number of deaths, at 42 500, to the overall population increase was 102%. Besides, if OWPHs were excluded, there was a net outflow of 17 900 persons, bearing a ratio of 43% to the overall population increase.

The Hong Kong Population is measured on the definition of Resident Population, which comprises Usual Residents and Mobile Residents. Among the total population at end-2013, 6 997 800 (provisional) were Usual Residents and 221 900 (provisional) were Mobile Residents.

"Usual Residents" include two categories of people: (1) Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least three months during the six months before or for at least three months during the six months after the reference time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong or not at the reference time-point; and (2) Hong Kong Non-permanent Residents who are in Hong Kong at the reference time-point.

"Mobile Residents" are Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least one month but less than three months during the six months before or for at least one month but less than three months during the six months after the reference time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong or not at the reference time-point.

The revised figure for the mid-year population for 2013 was 7 187 500. The number of Usual Residents was revised to 6 975 300 and the number of Mobile Residents to 212 200. The population growth rate from mid-2012 to mid-2013 was also revised to 0.5%.

The population figures for recent years are shown in Table 2.

Under the current practice, the latest population figure is released on a provisional basis in each round. The revised figure will be released six months later. In other words, while the provisional population figure for end-2013 is released today, the corresponding revised figure will be released in August 2014.